Finding Solace
by innerdialogue
Summary: ONESHOT Sakura comtemplates how she ended up where she is.


-1Author's Note: This is post time skip. Naruto and Sakura are now eighteen.

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Sakura sighed contently and rested her head on the exposed chest of her best friend. She ran her hand over the many scars adorning Naruto Uzamaki's skin left from countless shurikens and kunais over the years. The medic ninja traced the well-built muscles underneath the tanned skin, following the bulge of his biceps. Naruto's breathing was slow and steady, meaning that he finally found the peaceful sleep that had eluded him for the month or so.

Sakura knew the reason he had not been sleeping well. It was the stress of Orochimaru. The ever present threat of the legendary Sannin. More and more Leaf Village ninjas were turning up dead and not too long ago, an entire village disappeared. The Fifth Hokage was both puzzled and pissed at the same time. Both that and the mission after mission they were sent on did not add up to the biggest and most dire source of stress.

Sasuke.

A month ago, Tsunade sent the Rookie Nine, well the Rookie Eight, on a retrieval mission: the defected Uchiha. It was only meant to attempt to get him back from the Snake Ninja's control, but it quickly turned sour. Sasuke had batted all the other Chounin aside, including Shikamaru and Naruto, leaving only Sakura left to defend herself.

Sasuke's eyes were red with the Sharingan as he advanced on her. Chakra sparked in his hand and glowed bright blue.

"Stupid girl. Always following the big kids around, never stepping up to the plate yourself. Always the weak one."

"Sa…Sasuke," Sakura whispered, stepping backward. "Please…you don't want to do this!"

Sasuke smirked, raising his hand and looking a the Chidori.

"I don't think you're in any kind of position to tell me what I want to do."

The last of the Uchiha clan lunged forward, thrusting his hand toward her.

Sakura screamed.

Sasuke stopped.

The raven haired ninja was snatched back and thrown away. Naruto, his eyes red with demonic chakra, snarled and leapt on top of him. Three tails whipped around him, physical manifestations of the Kyuubi within him.

"**DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH HER!"** Naruto's voice was dark and guttural, animalistic.

He swung his fists, his blows connecting ten, twenty times. The only thing Sasuke could do was take the punches, his former teammate's speed too much to match.

Sakura watched on with horror. If she did not do something soon, Naruto would kill Sasuke. She gathered her strength and ran toward the two ninja. Sakura realized that she was screaming as she ran, tears falling fast and hot. Bravely, or perhaps stupidly, grabbed one of Naruto's tails. The container snarled, forgetting for Sasuke for a second and backhanded her. The girl flew backward and smashed into a tree.

Sakura heard several ribs break. She slid down the wood of the tree and crumpled on the ground.

"Na…ru…to."

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After that, Sakura spent a week in the Konoha hospital. Naruto was there the whole time, more out of guilt than anything, helping her eat and things like that. Upon her release, the two walked calmly down to the bridge where Team 7 used to meet.

Sakura leaned against the railing and looked into the water.

"Sakura?"

She turned to him, watching as he leaned over, obscuring his face.

"Do you hate me now?"

The question caught her off guard. She turned back to the water and stared into the blue liquid. Naruto must have taken her silence for the worst, as he slammed his fist on the wood. Sakura jumped, watching her teammate. He was crying, not looking at her.

"Naruto?" Sakura said timidly, reaching for his head. The boy finally returned her gaze. His blue eyes darkened as he awaited her answer. It was then that the pink-haired girl realized that he was not a boy anymore. He had become a man sometime in the last four years since they had become Team 7. "Look at me."

She quickly closed the gap between them and captured his lips.

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That was a month ago. After that, Sakura had moved from her apartment into his. Losing Sasuke yet again had dealt a deep wound to the both of them and they need each other. Naruto's sleeping troubles started not long after. At night, Sakura could hear him call out, tossing and turning. She swung her legs to the floor and shivered. It was the middle of the summer and she had just worn one of Naruto's old t-shirt to bed. Cracking her door, she could hear his whimpering even better.

His room was across the hall and it took her only two seconds before she was standing over him. The Kyuubi's vessel had thrown the covers off and was twisted in sheets. He wore nothing but boxers to combat the heat and for the first time, Sakura was able to fully appreciate how…_hot_ her teammate had grown to be.

Thousands upon thousands of sit-ups and crunches form a deeply cut six pack on his abdomen. His pectoral muscles were immaculately sculpted from years of pushups as well.

Inner Sakura violently tried to throw herself on top of him, to kiss him, to run her hands over those abs, to see what was beneath those boxers.

"Sakura…"

The sound of her name wrenched her from those oh so tantalizing thoughts. She returned to watching him. He was now rolling over to one side and then to the other side.

"Sakura…he's coming…don't let him…"

Sakura frowned. "Naruto? I'm right he--"

Suddenly, the pink haired ninja found herself pinned to the bed, a kunai pointed at her throat. Naruto's lips were pulled back in a snarl and his eyes were wild and afraid.

"Sakura?" He gasped.

The kunai clattered to the floor. Tears filled his eyes as he rolled off of her, curling up in a fetal position.

"What's happening to me?"

Sakura could only take the crying man into her arms and comfort him.

"Shhh…it'll be okay."

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From that night on, she slept in his bed, beside him. He found comfort in each other and she in him. It was all they needed.

Until last night.

Last night, they crossed the boundary separating good friends from lovers. The first time was fast and urgent. Afterwards, the two ninja fell back onto the sheets, tired, sweet gleaming on their skin. It had been the first time for both and she was very sore. As both a medic ninja and a girl, Sakura knew about the barrier that had to be broken for intercourse to occur. All the books had been right.

It hurt.

Naruto had apologized at least fifty times, whispering in her ear. He would never intentionally hurt her. Not again.

The second time was slow, loving. This was the Naruto she loved with every fiber of her being. He was so gentle, so caring, so unlike the village's number one loudmouth ninja he had been years before. Now as she lay there beside him, Sakura could not think of any place she wanted be more.

Strong arms pulled her closer and she inhaled the scent of her favorite man.

"Morning," He smiled, his grin wide. They kissed and he repositioned them so that she was laying on top. "What exactly were we up to last night?"

"Let me remind you."


End file.
